About Chico Museum

museumHoused in the former Carnegie Library building in downtown Chico, the Chico Museum has hosted more than 90 exhibits celebrating the distinct heritage of Chico since it opened in February 1986. Exhibits change several times a year and include prestigious traveling exhibits as well as those created by the Museum focusing on local Chico and Butte County history.

The Museums Carnegie and Patrick galleries feature changing exhibits focusing on aspects of Chico’s past and present. The McIntyre gallery houses the permanent Chico Timeline 1830 – 2000 filled with photos, portraits, and artifacts evoking Chico’s diverse history. Also in this gallery is the permanent exhibit, “Agricultural History of the North Valley featuring Patrick Ranch”/ This exhibit tells the tale of the valley and its historical impact on agriculture in the region.

The Chico Museum is open April 10th -December 12th, Wednesday through Sunday, 12pm to 4pm.

What's a Waggle Dance? Find out at the Chico Museum's new exhibit, April 10th Opening The Secret World of Bees" Opens April 10th and shows Wednesday through Sunday's 12pm to 4pm.

Chico “Museum Night Out” is on Friday, September 17at California Park Pavilion

The Patrick Ranch Museum is now open to the public.Join us on weekends for a look back into agricultural history as told through the history of Patrick Ranch and the Glenwood Mansion.

 

Volunteer! The Chico Museum is always on the lookout for responsible and dedicated volunteers to do everything from Welcome Desk shifts to event help. Contact us!

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                  Thank you Richard Marple
Richard Marple’s interest in bees began as a boyhood hobby. Born in Illinois in 1929, Richard tended his first hive when he was 14 years old. Years later he attended the University of Illinois where he took two courses in beekeeping.
In 1957 at the age of 28, Richard Marple acquired his first original art piece related to bees and began his collection. Richard moved to Berkeley, California in 1961. He was a musician and taught piano lessons as his main occupation. He was also a sideline beekeeper and by 1963 he had 25 hives. One of Richard’s proudest accomplishments is a course on beekeeping that he completed at U.C. Davis.
Marples’s love of bees has taken him around the world on his search for original pieces of art related to bees. He traveled through Europe in the 1970′'s and also visited Egypt, Turkey and India. Wherever Mr. Marple traveled he looked for bee related things.
In February 2010, Mr. Marple donated the Richard Marple Beekeeping History and Art Collection to the Far West Heritage Association.

© 2010 Chico Museum and Far West Heritage Association. All Rights Reserved.